The Dawn After the Dark
by Alice Fang Cullen
Summary: Stephanie has just gone through hell, losing her best friend in the process, but what's next for her? What happened with her after the Paraguayan police picked her up?


_**Discs.:**__ I don't own anything you recognize from "And Soon The Darkness"!  
__**Summary:**__ Stephanie has just gone through hell, losing her best friend in the process, but what's next for her? What happened with her after the Paraguayan police picked her up?  
__**Genres:**__ Drama, Angst, Friendship, Family, Hurt/Comfort  
__**A/N:**__ I had this idea after watching the movie a while ago and just felt like writing it. This story picks up right where the movie ended. Oh, and please note I never actually went anywhere by plane - I've never even been in an airport, so the part where Stephanie arrives at LAX might not be 100% accurate, also I might got some details wrong considering that it's been already several weeks since I watched the movie. Anyway, enjoy reading!_

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**The Dawn After the Dark**

After the female police officer had helped her into the car and had shut the door Stephanie watched the woman get into the car as well. A moment later the male officer started driving again, turning the car around and heading back into the direction they had come from. As they were driving over the empty dusty road Stephanie leaned her head against the cool glass of the window beside her, staring blankly outside, not really seeing anything.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when the car stopped, causing her to snap out of her trance-like state, though it seemed to her like both a very long and yet at the same time very short ride. Straightening slightly up in her seat she lifted her head and glanced outside, still a blank expression on her face, and saw that they had parked in front of a police station. For a moment she just stared at the building, once again lost in thought, before she snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the car-doors being opened. Tearing her eyes away from the sight of the building in front of her she turned her head and saw how the two officers got out of the car and closed the doors. For a moment she watched the man who had been driving as he walked around the car, before she focused on the woman who was approaching her car door. Once the woman had reached the door she opened it, motioning for her to get out.

Stephanie hesitated, not sure if she could trust these people. The woman waited patiently, while her partner already walked towards the entrance of the building before stopping a few steps in front of it and turning back toward them. After another minute or two of consideration Stephanie eventually got out of the car, stepping aside so the policewoman could shut the car door, but didn't move to head toward the building. She watched how the policewoman closed the car door and went to head over to her partner after locking the car, but then paused as she noticed that Stephanie wasn't following her, causing her to walk back to her.

When she had reached her the policewoman lifted her right hand and resting it on Stephanie's shoulder she said,

"Vamos querida, vamos a entrar."

Stephanie pulled instinctively away, eyeing the woman with a trace of suspicion on her features. Seeing the distraught look on her face the woman stepped closer to her, but didn't touch her again, and stated in a soft, soothing voice,

"Está bien, querida. Usted se ahorra, nadie va a hacerte daño. Sólo queremos ayudar."

"Where am I?" Stephanie asked.

"You're in Paraguay, just a few miles away from the Rio Paraná and the border." The policewoman replied in halting English with a heavy South American accent. After a short pause she added,

"You look like you've been through a lot. Let's go inside so you can tell us what happened and we'll help you." She spoke slowly, pausing in between to find the right English words for what she wanted to say,

"Come, let's go inside dear." She smiled warmly at Stephanie, a reassuring expression on her face.

Stephanie hesitated for another moment, thinking, eventually she released a soft sigh and let her shoulders sink in surrender. The policewoman smiled once more, then she turned to walk over to her partner, who was still patiently waiting at the door of the building, and head inside. Stephanie sighed once more, before following the woman. Once she had reached the door as well the policeman opened it, holding it open and waited for her and his partner to go in before him.

Following the policewoman hesitantly inside Stephanie took a look around, studying her surroundings. Only a moment later the policeman followed them as well, letting go of the door, which closed with a rather loud thud. Being startled by the sudden noise Stephanie flinched and looked rapidly back toward the door.

Seeing the scared expression on her face the policeman gave her an apologetic look and said,

"Lo siento, yo no quería asustarla."

Stephanie just gave a slight nod and turned back around. The policewoman, who had stopped as well, smiled slightly at her and lifted her right hand toward her shoulder, but instead of actually resting it on her shoulder she let it hover slightly above it. Lifting her left hand as well and motioning for Stephanie to head further inside she stated,

"Come, querida."

Stephanie took a deep breath, trying to relax, telling herself that these two police officers might really help her. A moment later she started walking again. The policewoman led her down the short hallway they were in, the male officer following a step or two behind them. They got into a rather large room with a handful of desks, though most of them were unoccupied at the moment, and a row of filing cabinets at one of the walls. As they entered the room the three present officers looked up and toward them. The police officers accompanying her greeted their colleagues as the woman led Stephanie through the room and toward a closed door at the far end of the room. When they had reached the door the policewoman opened the door and signaled for Stephanie to go inside.

After stepping inside Stephanie stopped after a few steps and studied the room.

It was a surprisingly spacious office; there was a desk standing opposite the door, a large bookshelf stood at the wall to her left with filing cabinets to each side of it. To her right she saw two small couches standing at the corner of the room with a coffee table in front of them and a floor lamp between them in the corner. The furniture looked old, but was in very good condition. The entire office was very orderly, even the desk on which a stack of files and other things lay.

"Please have a seat." The policewoman said, gesturing towards the couches, still the same warm smile as before on her face.

Stephanie let out a soft sigh then she went over to the couches and sat down on the one standing at the right wall from where she could see the door more easily. Once Stephanie had taken a seat the policewoman stated,

"I'll be right back." And as Stephanie nodded she turned and left the room, the other officer following her.

While waiting Stephanie took once more a look around, eventually getting lost in her thoughts.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when the sound of someone approaching brought her mind back to the present. Looking up she saw the policewoman return, carrying a tray with a steaming pot of coffee, three cups and a plate with some traditional South-American pastries. She was accompanied by one of the officers who had been sitting in the main room of the station when they had arrived.

Stephanie watched them approach and how the policewoman, once she had reached the table, bent down and placed the tray on the coffee table standing in front of the couches, while the male officer already sat down on the second couch.

Straightening up and looking at Stephanie the woman smiled slightly and gesturing toward the tray she stated,

"Please... You must be hungry. The pastries are very good." She smiled once more, giving Stephanie an encouraging look, then she motioned toward the policeman sitting on the other couch and told her,

"This is Officer Ramirez. He's here so you can tell us what happened to you without problems."

Ramirez nodded in confirmation at his colleague's words, but remained silent. Meanwhile the woman was filling the cups with coffee. Once she was done she lifted one of the cups and offered it to Stephanie.

After a short moment of hesitation Stephanie accepted the cup and smiling tentatively she said,

"Gracias."

The policewoman smiled and nodded, watching as Stephanie lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. When Stephanie lowered her hands, keeping the cup in her hands, the policewoman wanted to know,

"Is it good like this, or would you like some sugar and milk?"

Smiling once more a little she shook her head,

"No, thanks. It's just right like this, thanks."

The policewoman nodded and still smiling she motioned for Stephanie to try the pastries. As Stephanie complied to the invitation the woman's smile widened. For a moment she watched as Stephanie lifted one of the pastries and took a bite, a happy expression appearing on her face as she watched Stephanie chewing and then smiled as she swallowed, before taking another bite, then she focused on her own and her colleague's coffee, adding milk and sugar to her own and milk to Ramirez's.

After handing Ramirez his coffee she took her own, before sitting down on the couch where Stephanie sat, though leaving some space between them.

Then after a short while of silence Ramirez spoke up and asked,

"What's your name?" He spoke in a smooth, very dulcet voice, that sounded well-educated, pointing at him coming from a wealthy family, and made Stephanie involuntarily relax a little. His English was much better, fluent in fact, his accent less heavy but still detectable.

"Stephanie... Stephanie Andrews." She replied, looking at the policeman.

"I suppose you are on vacation here?" He asked, having pulled out a notepad and pen.

Stephanie nodded slowly,

"Yes, me and my best friend Ellie..." She paused, swallowing hard at the memory of Ellie and what had happened to her, barely able to keep her composure. She swallowed once more, before taking a deep breath and continuing,

"... Ellie Hudson... we were on a biking tour across Argentina."

"You and your friend were traveling all alone?" Ramirez asked surprised, frowning slightly.

At the question Stephanie let momentarily her head hang, shaking it slightly. Looking up she replied,

"No, we were part of a group, but towards the end of the journey Ellie had the idea that it would be more fun to take off on our own for the last few days and take a detour to a village near the river she had heard of and which had some interesting sights close by..." Pausing Stephanie bit her lip, then she added,

"I know it was was a stupid idea but we thought it would be fine. It was just supposed to be a few days, get to the village, have some fun and catch up to the others to head back to the States..."

"But something went wrong?" Ramirez guessed, looking up from the notes he was making and at Stephanie.

She nodded once more. Lifting her cup to her lips she took a sip of her coffee, lowering momentarily her head and closing her eyes. Eventually she lowered her hands to her lap again, hands wrapped around the cup, and looking back up she told them,

"When we got to the village we checked in to the small hotel of the place. Later we went to the local bar because Ellie felt like having some fun. We had a few drinks and as usual Ellie started flirting with the guys there, putting on a show... It started getting late and I wanted to go because I was pretty exhausted and we needed to get up early, but I couldn't see Ellie anywhere in the bar. So I went outside to look for her there..." Stephanie paused momentarily to take a sip of her coffee before continuing,

"I found her on the porch at the front of the bar making out with the guy she had flirted with most of the evening, Chuco was his name I think... I told her I wanted to go, and eventually left, while she said goodbye. He didn't wanna give up so easily and followed her to the hotel. They started making out again outside the room but eventually Ellie told him to leave her alone. He didn't want to listen... Eventually Michael, another American staying at the hotel, came out of his room and helped us getting rid of the guy." She paused once more before telling them that somehow the alarm clock had gotten unplugged and they had overslept causing them to miss their bus and how they had decided to enjoy their extra day of vacation and had headed to the river. She told them about her arguement with Ellie and how she had left her alone - how she had started feeling bad after some time and had headed back to the river but couldn't find Ellie.

She continued by telling the police officers about how nobody at the village had wanted to help her find Ellie, how her bike had been vandalized by someone and her backpack had been stolen from it, how she had gone into Michael's room at the hotel and found a bracelet like Ellie's. She told them how she had stolen the car and followed Chuco to the destroyed village, how she had gone searching for Ellie and run into Michael, how she had confronted him about the bracelet and he had told her about his missing girlfriend. After that she paused momentarily to drink her remaining coffee, before telling them how she had eventually found Ellie and how she had freed her and they had fled. As she reached the point of when Chuco had caught up to them and grabbed Ellie her eyes filled with tears and as she told them how Ellie had fallen and hit her head causing her to die the tears broke free. However, she didn't pause, wanting to finish so it was over, and continued with how Michael and the police officer, Calvo, showed up, how Calvo had tricked her to get into his car and how he had tried to get Michael to trade her life for getting his girlfriend back and eventually killed him. While speaking she felt what was left of her composure slipping more and more away and started to sob more and more, but she continued anways. She told them how Calvo and Chuco had taken her to the ruine where they had also hold Ellie, how Calvo had told her about his activities as human trafficker and that he was planning to sell her in Ellie's place. She told them how Calvo and Chuco had drugged her and she had woken up on their boat when they were on the way to the meeting with the customer and how she had killed Chuco by attacking him and pushing him into the water. Then she told them how she had tried to escape the first time by jumping into the water and swimming to shore but was caught by Calvo's customer, the owner of the hotel, how she had tried once more and managed to run away, how she had reached the port and screamed for help. She told them how the owner of the closest boat had heard her and how Calvo had killed him, how she had hidden on the boat and how Calvo had searched for her, told them about the confrontation when he had found her...

"... And I ... I killed him," Stephanie muttered between her sobs,

"I had to kill him ... or he would have killed me too - or even worse..." Stephanie's voice broke, sobbing uncontrollably she was no longer able to speak.

The policewoman moved closer to her, wrapping her arms around her. Beginning to rub gently her back, as a mother would do with her child when it was hurt or scared, and muttering in a soothing voice to her, trying to comfort her, the policewoman turned to look at her colleague, exchanging a glance with him, before focusing her attention fully back on Stephanie.

_LAX international airport, Los Angeles, two days later:_

Stephanie opened her eyes and straightened up in her seat as a soft '_ding_' woke her from a light slumber and looking up she saw that the sign for the seatbelts had gone on. Only a moment later a male voice was heard over the speakers and announced that they had almost arrived and would start descending in a moment. Letting out a low sigh Stephanie fastened her seatbelt before turning slightly her head and leaning back in her seat she glanced outside, a thoughtful expression on her face, watching as the plane slowly descended.

Her mind started drifting off to the passed two days. After she had finished telling the police officers what had happened they had contacted the closest US consulate and explained to one of the people working there that they had found an US American tourist who had been kidnapped by human traffickers while on vacation in Argentina and had crossed over into Paraguay when she had been able to escape after killing her captors. They also explained that she had lost all her belongings, including her passport and other papers she had had on her, as well as that the friend she had been traveling with and another American citizen had been killed by the traffickers. The consulate had promised to do what they could to enable Stephanie to head home as soon as possible. The Paraguayan police also contacted, together with the consulate, Argentinian authorities about what happened with her and Ellie, telling them that a corrupt police officer had been involved in human trafficking and the disappearances of numerous young women and the deaths of two US citizens as well as that Stephanie had killed him in self-defense along with one of his accomplices. Meanwhile she herself had been first brought to the local hospital to be checked for injuries and then to a nice little hotel where she could rest until she could be taken to the consulate.

She had stayed for a day at the hotel, before being picked up by someone working for the consulate the passed day around noon. However, she hadn't really been able to get any rest while at the hotel. There had simply been too much on her mind, and when she had finally drifted off to sleep she had gotten soon caught up in a nightmare and it hadn't been long before she had bolted awake. Unable to go back to sleep she had watched some TV, though she hadn't really paid any attention to what she was seeing. Eventually she had left the hotel, exploring the small town where she was and buying some clothes, toiletries and other necessities.

When she had gotten to the consulate she had answered a bunch of questions and once again recounted what had happened. Eventually they had brought her to a guestroom in the house of one of the employees where she tried once more to get some rest, while the consulate organized her return to the States and contacted her family...

Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts as she felt a slight jolt going through the plane, signaling that it had touched down on the runway. Looking up she glanced out of the window again, watching as the plane rolled slowly toward the gate.

When the plane came to a stop at the terminal Stephanie tore her gaze away from the view she had through her window and unbuckled her seatbelt, before turning her head toward the aisle. While waiting for the doors to be opened she took a look around without really seeing anything, an unreadable expression on her face. Hearing the doors being opened and the first people getting up and ready to leave the plane she snapped out of her thoughts and looked up, watching as the man who had been sitting beside her rose from his seat, got his bag and went to head down the aisle between the seats and toward the door.

Stephanie let out a soft sigh, taking her time to get her bag and stand up, not feeling up to being pushed around by other passengers who were hurrying off the plane. As the flow of people heading for the door was subsiding Stephanie eventually went to leave as well, moving in an almost trance-like state. She barely even noticed the smiling flight attendant standing at the door, telling her that she hoped she'd had a good flight and wishing her a great day, as she stepped through the door and into the gangway leading into the airport building.

Still in the same far away state Stephanie made slowly her way away from the gate. As she reached security she took absentmindedly her jewelery off and put it along with her small travel-bag in a plastic container so it could be sent through the x-ray thing and be scanned through, then she took off her shoes and put them in the container as well, before stepping through the metal detector. On the other side one of the men from security handed her the container with her things and after putting her shoes and jewelery back on she slung the strap of her travel-bag over her shoulder and continued on her way.

As she caught a few minutes later sight of her parents and saw how the worry on their faces was replaced with relief she stopped, barely noticing as the strap of her travel-bag slipped from her shoulder and the bag landed with a thud on the ground as she watched her parents rush over to her. When they had reached her they immediately threw their arms around her.

After all the crying she had done in the passed few days she had expected that she had run out of tears by now, but as her parents wrapped their arms around her and drew her into a tight embrace Stephanie nonetheless felt her eyes well up with tears. Only a moment later the tears broke free, starting to cascade down her cheeks, soft sobs tearing from her lips and she squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to her parents like a lifeline as they hugged her closer, rubbing her back and muttering soothing words to her.

Stephanie cried for what felt like an eternity - again. When she eventually started calming down and her tears and sobs slowly began to subside she pulled slightly back and opened her eyes. As she did so her father lifted a hand to her face and wiped the remains of her tears away. Looking at them she could see tears running down her mother's face and while her father wasn't crying himself his eyes were slightly glistening with tears.

They hugged her close for another moment before loosening their hold on her and looking at her her father asked,

"Ready to go home?"

Stephanie nodded, a weak smile crossing momentarily her features. She was more than ready to go and get home. Crouching down she picked up her travel-bag and straightened up.

Reaching for the strap of the bag her dad said,

"Let me take that for you."

"Okay." Stephanie replied, letting go of the travel-bag and a moment later they went to leave.

Walking between her parents toward the exit of the airport Stephanie reflected on the passed few days, the realization that the nightmare was now over slowly starting to sink in. She knew in the back of her mind that what had happened would come back to haunt her, that it would lead to nightmares and nights without any sleep at all. But she also knew it won't crush her. She simply couldn't let it crush her, she owed that much to Ellie. After all, by letting what happened break her she would waste the second chance she got - it won't be right. As she stepped out into the bright LA sunshine and inhaled the fresh air a small smile started forming on her lips and she made a vow to herself that from now on she would try to live every moment to its fullest, that she would live for both, her and Ellie...

_Fin_

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_**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading! I hope you liked the story. Feedback would be very appreciated so please take the time to review!_


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